Friends of the Earth (FoE) Melbourne is a non-for profit organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. The international Friends of the Earth network is active in 77 countries with over 2 million members. Read more.

The Barmah-Millewa Collective has decided its time for a new name: the 'River Country Campaign'. This is an exciting evolution in our campaign, which points to a broadening effort to protect the ecosystems of the Murray-Darling Basin and to support land and water justice for Indigenous peoples.

National environment group Friends of the Earth say news the owner of Hazelwood is refusing to pay the $18 million cost of fighting last year's fire that occurred in their brown coal mine reinforces the need to regulate the sector.

"GDF Suez's refusal to pay an $18 million fire-fighting bill strengthens the case for regulating the coal sector to protect the public purse, community health, and our climate," said Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth campaigns coordinator.

With the continued attempts by the federal government to undermine the Renewable Energy Target (RET), we need to stay focused on federal politics to ensure the best possible policy environment for the uptake of renewable power.

But there is a role for us as consumers as well. By purchasing green power (energy from renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro) we are helping create a strong economic environment that will drive further investment in clean energy.

Friends of the Earth was proud to help organise yesterday's Unions and Communities TPP Roundtable, hosted by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) at the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) National Congress 2015.

The Roundtable included doctors, nurses, farmers, unionists, academics, lawyers, environmental groups, community groups and faith groups who have been campaigning around the TPP since 2010.